Thin cakes require a hotter oven than those baked in thick loaves. Cakes with molasses in them burn more quickly than others. Thin cakes should bake from fifteen to twenty minutes, thicker cakes from thirty to forty minutes, and very thick loaves about one hour. If only the yolks of the eggs are used the cake is richer, if only the whites it is lighter. Have all ingredients ready, then see that fire and oven are right, and mix carefully. The secret of fine grained cake is in the mixing. First always cream the butter by beating, then add sugar slowly, creaming carefully, then add the well beaten yolks of eggs. Sift the flour and baking powder together three times, at least, then add alternately in small quantities the flour and milk, and last of all the stiffly beaten whites of eggs, working them in as lightly as possible.
Cream one half cupful of butter in a warm bowl adding slowly one cupful of sugar, whip the yolk of one egg and add to butter and sugar. Have ready two cupfuls of flour into which has been sifted two teaspoonfuls of baking powder; put flour and baking powder through sifter three times. Add flour and one cupful of milk slowly and alternately to butter mixture, adding last of all the whites of egg beaten stiff and one teaspoonful of flavoring. Bake in loaf in moderate oven for thirty minutes.
Cream one third cupful of butter with one and one half cupfuls of sugar; add the well beaten yolks of three eggs and one teaspoonful of flavoring, beat well; add alternately, in small quantities, two heaping cupfuls of flour, into which two rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder has been sifted, and one cupful of milk; last of all add the whites of the three eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, folding them into the dough lightly. Bake in shallow pans for about twenty minutes, or until cake shrinks from the pan. Put together with orange icing.
Beat the whites of four eggs very stiff and set in refrigerator to chill; cream the yolks; add one cupful of sugar and a teaspoonful of lemon extract; sift flour until very light, and sprinkle in one cupful slowly, stirring lightly; then fold in the whites of the eggs as delicately as possible. Bake in moderate oven.
Sift one cupful of flour and one half teaspoonful of cream of tartar together, sifting at least six times; add one cupful of sugar, sift again; beat the whites of seven eggs stiff; chill; then whip in the flour and sugar; flavor with one teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Bake in moderate oven.
Beat the yolk of one egg, add one half cupful of sugar and beat again, add one half teaspoonful of lemon juice and three tablespoonfuls of cold water, then two thirds of a cupful of flour into which one half even teaspoonful of baking powder has been sifted, and lastly the whites of the egg beaten stiff. Bake in shallow pan or in small tins.
Tea cakes that are much esteemed in southern households are made from the yolks of six eggs, half a pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of flour and one teaspoonful of baking powder mixed with the flour. They should be rolled thin and baked in a quick oven. Frost with a thin icing or sprinkle while hot with granulated sugar.
Take three good-sized apples, pare, chop them fine, put them into a saucepan with two cupfuls of molasses, and boil until the apples are soft—say for three minutes—remove, and add one cupful of sugar, one egg, and one half teaspoonful of ginger, cinnamon allspice, clove and nutmeg, one cupful of strong coffee in which one and one half teaspoonfuls of soda are dissolved; two and one half cupfuls of flour.
This cake will keep all winter. These proportions make three large cakes.
One cupful of brown sugar, one cupful of molasses, one half a cupful of butter, one beaten egg, one half a cupful of strong coffee, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one teaspoonful of ground cloves, four cupfuls of seeded raisins, one cupful of thinly sliced citron, four cupfuls of flour into which has been sifted one teaspoonful of soda. Bake in moderate oven.
Dissolve one half teaspoonful of soda and mix with one scant cupful of sour cream, beat one egg and stir in, add a scant cupful of sugar and one and one half cupfuls of flour. This can be baked as a loaf, or in gem pans, or used for layer cake.
Two cupfuls of sugar, four eggs, one cupful of sour cream, and one cupful of buttermilk, one teaspoonful of soda, nutmeg to taste, flour enough to make a soft dough; roll until one half inch thick, cut in rounds, cutting out small ring in center; fry in hot cocoanut butter. The fat should be deep enough to float the cakes and hot enough to cook quickly; when nicely browned, drain, then powder with confectioner’s sugar.
Mix one half cupful of creamed butter with one cupful of sugar, beat to a smooth cream. Whip one egg light and add to sugar and butter; add one teaspoonful of flavoring and one fourth cupful of milk with flour enough to make sufficiently stiff to roll thin, having previously sifted through the flour one half teaspoonful of baking powder. Roll a little at a time, cut out and bake about ten minutes in hot oven.
Two eggs, six tablespoonfuls of butter, six tablespoonfuls of sugar, one teaspoonful of lemon extract, a pinch of soda sifted in flour enough to make a dough stiff enough to roll. Roll very thin, cut and bake in quick oven.
To one cupful of molasses add one half a cupful of water, in which has been dissolved one teaspoonful of soda; one cupful of sugar, one teaspoonful of ginger, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one cupful of butter with flour enough to roll. Cut and bake in quick oven.
Dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in four tablespoonfuls of hot water, mix with three fourths of a cupful of molasses; add four tablespoonfuls of melted butter and one and three fourths cupfuls of flour with ginger enough to flavor; bake in gem tins.
One pound of sweet almonds blanched and beaten to a paste; mix with them one and a quarter pounds of powdered sugar, the grated rind of two lemons and the whites of six eggs. Drop on buttered paper and bake a light brown in a moderate oven.
Beat two eggs until light; add one teacupful of sugar, a little salt, and flavoring to taste. Use one teacupful of flour sifted with one teaspoonful of baking powder, making the dough of a consistency that can be rolled. Cut into strips the size of the finger and bake.
One half pint whites of eggs, beaten very stiff; add gradually one half pound sugar, beating well all the time, add the yolks of the eggs and mix together lightly; then stir in very lightly one half pound of flour. Transfer the mixture into fingers on sheets of paper. Dust with powdered sugar, and put on pans and bake in hot oven. Watch them very carefully, as it only takes a few minutes to bake them. When cold they may be removed from the paper by placing them on the table face down, and washing the bottom of the paper with a wet sponge. Now turn back to their proper position and they can be easily removed. Join them in pairs and keep them covered until used.
Put into an enameled saucepan one quarter pound of butter, one quarter pint of water, and a few drops of lemon juice; bring all to a boil; while boiling mix in smoothly one quarter pound of flour, draw back the saucepan from the fire and add to the mixture three well beaten eggs. Bake on greased tins in hot oven about twenty minutes. When done make a slit in side of each and quickly fill with either thick custard, or stiff whipped cream that has been sweetened and flavored; then as quickly as possible pour some chocolate frosting over the top. Serve when cold.
Boil with a large cupful of hot water half a teacupful of butter, stirring in one teacupful of flour during the boiling; set aside to cool and when cold stir in four eggs, one at a time without beating; drop on tins quickly and bake in a fairly hot oven. When baked fill in with a cream made by beating together three tablespoonfuls of flour, one egg, and half a teacupful or more of sugar, according to taste; stirred into half a pint of milk while boiling, and flavored to liking.
Beat to a cream one cupful of butter; add gradually one and one half cupfuls of sugar, the yolks of three eggs beaten, one teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, one half teaspoonful of ground cloves, one half a nutmeg, grated, the juice and rind of one lemon, three tablespoonfuls of sour milk, in which has been mixed three fourths teaspoonful of soda; one cupful of seeded and chopped raisins, the beaten whites of three eggs, and about three and one half cupfuls of flour; either roll and cut out, or drop by the spoonful on a buttered sheet.
Cream three tablespoonfuls of butter, add gradually one cupful of sugar, add three tablespoonfuls of melted chocolate, one teaspoonful of vanilla and one cupful of flour, beat thoroughly, spread very thin on well buttered pans, bake in a quick oven, brush with the white of egg as soon as you take from the oven, cut into strips one inch wide while hot.
Beat the yolks of four eggs until thick, add gradually one cupful of sugar, and beat for two minutes; add three tablespoonfuls of cold water, mix and sift thoroughly one and one half tablespoonfuls of corn starch, one scant cupful of flour, one level teaspoonful of baking powder, one fourth teaspoonful of salt; add to the first mixture the whites of four eggs beaten stiff, and one teaspoonful extract of lemon. Bake in a buttered angel cake pan for forty-five minutes, or in a shallow cake-pan for thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven.
Cream one half cupful of butter, add gradually one and one half cupfuls of sugar, add three egg yolks well beaten and one half cupful of cold water, mix and sift thoroughly one and one half cupfuls of flour, one half cupful of corn starch, two level teaspoonfuls of baking powder; add with the beaten whites of four eggs; cover with opera caramel frosting.